DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from applicant's description) The pituitary gonadotropins, LH and FSH, are critical modulators of gamete maturation and gonadal steroidogenesis; insight into the molecular mechanisms which control expression of these hormones will contribute to an understanding of normal and abnormal reproductive function. The proposal's specific aims are: 1) to identify the steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) interactions that regulate basal LHbeta gene expression; and 2) to confirm the physiologic role of SF-1 in LHbeta gene expression using a transgenic mouse model.